Travel

Whale of a time through the Sea of Cortés on a weeklong cruise

By Robert N. JenkinsSpecial to The Denver Post

Posted:
09/20/2013 03:37:36 AM MDT

The Sea of Cortés separates Baja California from Mexico's mainland. Ocean explorer and conservationist Jacques Cousteau called the waters, teeming with a variety of marine life, "the world's aquarium." (Robert N. Jenkins, Special to The Denver Post)

BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, Mexico — About to board an open boat for a whale-watching trip, a well-traveled businesswoman says she is a little disappointed in our weeklong voyage through the Sea of Cortés: She prefers a more definite schedule of events, announced well in advance.

About an hour later, she and the seven other passengers in her boat experience a thrill that could not be scheduled. A mother gray whale lifted the boat from the water and almost dumped them in a chilly inlet of the Pacific Ocean.

The whale was a pregnant female that had migrated here from Alaska to give birth. Both adults and calves can be curious about the tourist-filled boats idling in their nursery, the passengers slapping the water to draw attention. The creatures come to the boats, and the humans touch the whales' rubbery hides.

And so it was that when another calf came toward our boat, we leaned over, waiting for the calf to poke its head out of the water.

Instead, the mother went under the boat and raised it — at a frightening angle.

Just as quickly, she moved from underneath it, followed by our whoops of joy. Thanks for the once-in-a-lifetime thrill.

Unscheduled, unforgettable

From points as diverse as England and Florida, 30 of us had boarded the Safari Endeavour for the chance to observe not just whales but also dozens of other creatures in the water and in the air, and to marvel at the plant life in the arid Baja California Sur peninsula.

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The Baja extends southward hundreds of miles from the U.S. border and is separated from mainland Mexico by the 109,000 square miles of the Sea of Cortés.

It was Jacques Cousteau who termed this "the world's aquarium" due to its astonishing variety of life. Safari Endeavour passengers on my trip tallied more than 60 species of fish, birds, mammals and reptiles.

And one afternoon became a marathon of unexpected delights:

A horseback ride offers another way to explore the scenery in Baja California Sur during an excursion off the cruise. (Robert N. Jenkins, Special to The Denver Post)

Our ship motored upon a pod of eight orcas — killer whales. For 20 minutes they brought cheers and giddy laughter as they crossed under our bow, gliding on both sides of the vessel.

Later, we encountered dozens of dolphin, leaping from the water during a feeding frenzy. Overhead, a cloud of seabirds waited to dive in.

Not two hours after that, a mighty blue whale repeatedly spouted water before finally submerging, well ahead of the ship.

None of the day's events could have been scheduled. None can be forgotten.

Safari Endeavour departs from La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur. The ship heads north, sometimes stopping more than once a day at coves and islands where we often had a wide beach to ourselves.

The daily agenda was usually posted the night before on the closed-circuit TVs in each of the 43 cabins. This schedule varied little: Options were kayaking, snorkeling, stand-up paddle-boarding, beach combing or low-impact hikes. Passengers could opt to do as much or as little as they want.

Before the first port of call, everyone was outfitted with a wet suit, fins and snorkeling mask.

In the kayaks, in the water and on the hikes, we were always accompanied by naturalist/guides.

Beyond the landings, life on board revolved around conversation, reading and meals. All beverages, from soft drinks to cocktails, were included in the ticket.

Also included in the price: the bartender offering hot chocolate spiked with crème de cacao while we relaxed in one of the two hot tubs, after off-ship activities. Another unscheduled, but welcome, event.

Robert N. Jenkins is former travel editor of the Tampa Bay Times. His two e-books, illustrated anthologies of earlier articles, are "End Bay" and "Casting Off"; both are available at the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and Smashwords sites.

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